Rectangular field with transverse ball hurdle

ABSTRACT

An improvement in the game of Foot-ball, specifically the game currently known as &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;soccer&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; in which the foot-ball is kicked by the players of both sides in opposite directions towards and into goals on opposite ends of the field, the improvement consisting of the use of transversely placed hurdles onto the field, which hurdles tend to impede the ball or balls and also the players, the velocity of the ball also causing it to be upwardly deflected into the air to enable a player to butt it with his head towards the goal or away from opposing players, etc., to the added entertainment of the crowd.

United States Patent [191 Ellis RECTANGULAR FIELD WITH TRANSVERSE BALL HURDLE [76] Inventor: Robert Ellis, 350 Lomas Santa Fe Dr., Solana Beach, Calif. 92075 [22] Filed: Aug. 31, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 393,501

[52] U.S. Cl. 273/95 H 51] Int. Cl A63b 71/02 [58] Field of Search 273/95 R, 95 H, 116, 118,

273/176, 87 C, 87 B, 87 R OTHER PUBLICATIONS Golf Illustrated.

[ Dec. 17, 1974 Primary Examiner.Richard C. 'Pinkham Assistant Examiner-Marvin Siskind [57] ABSTRACT An improvement in the game of Foot-ball, specifically the game currently known as soccer" in which the foot-ball is kicked by the players of both sides in opposite directions towards and into goals on opposite ends of the field, the improvement consisting of the use of transversely placed hurdles onto the field, which hurdles tend to impede the ball or balls and also the players, the velocity of the ball also causing it to be upwardly deflectedinto the air to enable a player to butt it with his head towards the goal or away from opposing players, etc., to the added entertainment of the crowd.

2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures RECTANGULAR FIELD WITH TRANSVERSE BALL HURDLE This invention relates to improvements in the game of foot-ball, especially the type presently known as soccer foot-ball wherein the ball is kicked along the field towards goals on either end of the field by opposing teams of players. One defect of this game resides in the ability of a few players of one team to suddenly 'surround the ball and maneuver it quickly along the ground towards their goal before opposing players are able to interupt them, thus making the game too easy and one-sided and tending to eliminate the competition the audience desires.

The principal feature of this invention is to provide means for increasing the competition between the opposing teams for the greater interest and pleasure of the audience by installing one or more impediments such as hurdles laid transversely across the field, these hurdles being so formed so as to deflect the fast approaching ball upwardly when it strikes the hurdle, the curvature of the hurdle being able to either permit the ball to drop over or rebound therefrom as desired.

Other and further objects will appear in the specifications and be specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings exemplifying the invention, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a general plan of a foot-ball field, indicating the position of the hurdles.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cabinet view of one type of hurdle.

FIG. 4 is a cabinet view of another type of hurdle.

Referring to the drawings in which like numerals and characters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views, the numeral 5 denotes a level rectangular playing field which is preferably surrounded by a large number of seats 6 occupied by an audience, (not shown). Each opposing team of players, one player indicated by 7, occupy opposite ends A and B of the playing field 5 and endeavor to kick the ball or balls 8 into their goals 16 on their opposite ends of the field. Unfortunately it has become apparent that occasionally a few players of one team can quickly assemble around a ball and maneuvre it from their end of the playing field to their goal 16 on the opposite side mit the fast rolling ball 8 to easily roll thereover and be deflected as desired, the hurdle 9 causing the ball to be deflected upwardly and forwardly as indicated by the arrow 13 in FIGS. 2 and 3, while the ball 8 will be deflected upwardly and rearwardly as indicated by arrows 14 as indicated by FIGS. 2 and 4. The upwardly ball will enable a player 7 to butt the ball with his head or to kick it before it reaches the ground to the added pleasure of the audience. The hurdles 9 and 10 are preferably made of sheet material such as steel or plastic and may have re-inforcing strips (not shown) attached to their inner part. The arrows 15 in FIG. 2 indicate direction of ball 8 previous to being deflected by hurdles 9 or 10. The weight of the hurdles will hold From the foregoing description it will be apparent that I have evolved a new and interesting improvement in a foot-ball game in which the audience will be more entertained in watching these new features and which will give all the players a more equal opportunity to display their prowess in the game of foot-ball. The height of the hurdles is such that a player can easily jump or straddle thereover as indicated in FIG. 2. The individual hurdles 9 and 10 may be placed together end to end as shown in FIG. I.

I claim:

1. A foot-ball game comprising: a large, rectangular playing field, at least one goal at each of the transverse ends of the playing field, at least one hurdle extending transversely across the width of the playing field, said hurdle comprising a rigid sheet of material having a rounded top with outwardly flared and open space between the top and the field surface such that a ball impelled onto the hurdle will be deflected upwardly and over said hurdle, and at least one resilient ball, so constructed to enable it to roll over the surface of the field.

2. A large, rectangular playing field, at least one goal at each of the transverse ends of the playing field, at least one hurdle extending transversely across the width of the playing field, said hurdle comprising a rigid sheet of material having a rounded top with outwardly flared and open space between the top and the field surface such that a ball impelled onto the hurdle will be deflected upwardly and rearwardly from said hurdle, and at least one resilient ball, so constructed to enable it to roll over the surface of the field. 

1. A foot-ball game comprising: a large, rectangular playing field, at least one goal at each of the transverse ends of the playing field, at least one hurdle extending transversely across the width of the playing field, said hurdle comprising a rigid sheet of material having a rounded top with outwardly flared and open space between the top and the field surface such that a ball impelled onto the hurdle will be deflected upwardly and over said hurdle, and at least one resilient ball, so constructed to enable it to roll over the surface of the field.
 2. A large, rectangular playing field, at least one goal at each of the transverse ends of the playing field, at least one hurdle extending transversely across the width of the playing field, said hurdle comprising a rigid sheet of material having a rounded top with outwardly flared and open space between the top and the field surface such that a ball impelled onto the hurdle will be deflected upwardly and rearwardly from said hurdle, and at least one resilient ball, so constructed to enable it to roll over the surface of the field. 